Reading time: About 2 minutes
Farah Ghafoor encourages new writers to follow their own interests and write about what is most captivating to them.
Farah Ghafoor is an award-winning poet based in Toronto, Ontario. Her debut collection of poetry, recently released by House of Anansi Press. Shadow Price, explores the idea of value at the intersection of capitalism, colonialism, and climate change.
I was excited to talk to Farah about how she approaches writing.
Q. Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day?
Most days I try to free-write for at least 10 minutes. When I have a few hours on a weekend, I’ll dedicate them to revision.
Q. What’s a simple activity or habit that makes you a better writer?
When I see something beautiful and/or moving, I ask myself, “What exact colour is it? What shape is it? What is this like?” This helps me jot down accurate notes.
Q. What interferes with your writing?
Pressure to write, I’m afraid, unless I have enough time before a deadline.
Q. How do you persuade yourself to sit down to write on days when you really, really DON’T feel like doing it?
I’m afraid of disappointing the person on the other side of the deadline! Whether it’s my future self, my editor, or my writing group.
Q. Is there a particular motto or saying that you’ve found helpful for writing?
“Keep going!”
Q. Which stage of the writing process do you enjoy the most: researching, writing or editing/rewriting and why?
Ooh, this is hard! I think writing the first draft is particularly exciting to me because I’m able to determine what I truly think about a topic.
Q. What’s one of the best books you’ve read (either fiction or non) in the last five years?
How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell, Time and Water by Andri Snaer Magnason, and Hard Damage by Aria Aber.
Q. What book are you reading right now?
I’m reading The Kingdom of Surfaces by Sally Wen Mao.
Q. What do you think is the biggest misperception that new writers have about the act of writing?
That they have to write about whatever everyone else is writing about. Your best work will come from following your own interests and the topics that are important to you. This will also help you develop your own voice.
